I know I’ve already waxed lyrical about the jolliest of seasons in last years’ Christmas DIY, but just to reiterate: I really, really like Christmas. The songs, the tinsel, the santa; I love the lot.

This year’s DIY requires a little less fiddling and a lot less sewing skills — hooray! — and is a fairly quick project for a pre-Christmas sunny Sunday afternoon (or a wintery one for you Northern Hemispherians).

On one end of each piece make a pencil mark at the centre — in my case, at the 5cm mark — then draw a line from this point to each corner, making a triangle shape. Cut out your two shapes, and admire your handiwork. Pretty!

Step two:
Measure a line down the centre of each triangle, from the tip to the centre of the base, and mark the very centre with your pencil. On one piece draw a line from the centre to the tip, and on the other draw a line from the centre to the base.

Cut a thin block out along each line, as wide as your balsa wood is thick — mine was 4mm. Slot your triangles together to make sure your tree is appropriately tree-like. Yes? Good! Time to paint.

Step three:
Patiently wait as your cat investigates your workspace and deems it uninteresting enough to leave you alone, then using masking tape to keep a nice straight line, paint your tree in any crazy way you like.

It’s best to paint the pieces separately, and make sure they’re properly dry before slotting together!